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general warrants  

Definition

  • In specifying that warrants shall “particularly” describe “the place to be searched, and the persons or thing to be seized,” the Fourth Amendment reflected early Americans' disdain for general warrants, which gave authorities permission to conduct searches without specifying against whom they would be directed. The British had used such warrants, along with writs of assistance, to enforce customs laws in the colonies. [Source: Encyclopedia of the Fourth Amendment; General Warrants]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/general_warrants

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